Dr. Amy Novotny

Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. - Jim Rohn On Small Changes Big Shifts this week, Dr. Amy Novotny joins Dr. Michelle Robin to discuss how we can learn how to live life pain free. She is the Founder of the PABR Institute and co-author an Amazon #1 Best-Selling book Don't Quit: Stories of Persistence, Courage and Faith, which shares her journey on how and why she developed the PABR® Method. Dr. Amy founded the PABR® Institute (Pain Awareness Breathing Relief) with the mission to provide pain, stress and anxiety relief to those who seek a naturalistic form of treatment when other treatment methods have fallen short. Her unique approach comes from her experience treating in a variety of settings and with a wide range of patient populations over the past 10 years. Her background in orthopedics, sports, geriatrics, balance disorders, nerve injuries, and most recently, chronic pain; and influences from coursework at the Postural Restoration Institute gave her the foundation to develop this treatment method to address a wide variety of painful and restrictive conditions. She customizes all treatment plans to the individual to help them achieve their goals, whether it is to pick up a child, get through a work day pain free or play a sport. Join Dr. Michelle and Dr. Amy as they talk about: What new findings she discovered while working as a physical therapist within the first years of her career including how the breath can help us heal. How we can calm down the nervous system by focusing on two things: our breath and the position of our body. The positive impact that breathwork and better posture had on her long-distance running besides releasing stress and tension. Why she has moved on from a career as a physical therapist which focuses more on the external body to how she can help people heal internally with PABR. Her struggles with imposter syndrome and pushback at work as she left physical therapy to teach people how to heal internally with breathwork and improved body position. Discover how you can heal internally as Dr. Amy:  Breaks down the enteric, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous systems. Shares the importance of letting go of bracing the body in a focused, tight stance to allow it to "hang out". Explains how she helps people shift out of "fight or flight mode" to relieve stress and tension by adjusting their body's position specifically the ribcage. Unpacks what spinal hygiene is and why it's so important for our health. How to stop holding your breath in a tense, guarded pose but let go and breathe freely. What steps she walks people through to help relieve their COVID-19 symptoms. Learn new tools to add to your wellness toolbox including:  Why she wants people to focus on getting their spine in as much of a neutral position as possible. How we can investigate what everyday activities are contributing to our back muscles being overworked and dominate in all of our movements. Breathing exercises you can do at any moment to help you release tension in the back. How to tap into a better sleep posture and why sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees will help you breathe better. Where to look for the best seeds to plant in your home's garden. You are loved. Don't give up. - Josh Groban Mentioned In This Episode Amy Novotny PABR® Institute Don't Quit: Stories of Persistence, Courage and Faith PABR® Method Kyle Wilson Jim Rohn Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki SCBS Episode 265 – Paul Long Sproutman SCBS Ep. 210 – Wendy Basch Wellness on a Shoestring by Dr. Michelle Robin Connect Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube LinkedIn